Improvement in oscillating-engines



THOMAS W.. GODWIN.

--lmprovement in OSciHatin-g Engines.

Patented Nov. 28,1871. 1

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THOMAS W GODW|N Improvement in Oscillating Engines, Y0. 121,355,Patented Nov. 28,1871-.

N F N UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. GODWIN, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

. IMPROVEMENT IN OSCILLATING-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,355, dated November28, 1871.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. GonwIN, of Norfolk, in the county ofNorfolk, and in the State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Oscillating Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing making a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to oscillating engines; and consists in a peculiarconstruction and arrangement of valves in connection with thepiston-cylinder, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved engine. Fig.2 is aplan of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the steamchest H. Fig. 4is a plan of the same with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a horizontallongitudinal section. Figs. 6 and 7 are views of the valve and stem.Figs. 8 and 9 are views of the interior of the steam-chest D, showingthe steam-valve with two ports open in each figure in differentpositions of the cylinder. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of thesteam-chest D and valve B. Fig. 10 is a rear view of the valve B, theopenings on the face thereof being represented by dotted lines.

The steam-cylinder A, trunnions A A and steam-chest D are castseparately or in one piece, one end of the latter forming thevalve-seat, in which are four ports, a a b b, for the ingress and egressof steam. The trunnions are made hollow, A being divided by a partition,so as to form two chambers or passages for steam, each communicatingwith the chamber 0, which is formed upon and opens into either end ofthe steam-cylinder A. This chamber 0 also has a partition across itscenter opposite to andagainst that in the trunnions. The valve 13consists of four slotted arms projecting from a hub to the innercircumference of the steam-chest. The slots a a b b form the openings tocorrespond with the ports a a b 1). Attached to the rear of this valveis a hollow disk, 6, provided with shorter arms which project over theslots aforesaid, and are channeled so as to conduct the steam into orfrom said hollow disk which opens into the hollow valve-stem B extendingthrough the cover of the steam-chest D, and communicating, by means ofpipe E, with steam-chest H. Between the inside of the cover of thesteamchest D and the chamber 0 is a metallic washer or ring, which ismade to press the valve closely against its seat by means of set-screws,as shown in Fig. 9. The lever F attached to the stem serves to adjustthe valve, and is held in position by the notches in the ends of thelugs i i.

The arrangements within the steam-chest H are clearly shown in Figs. 3and 4. The horizontal partition or valve-seat is provided with openingsm a 0, communicating, respectively, with pipes E, K, and G. The valve 70is the ordinary slidevalve used in stationary engines, and has attachedthe arm Z operated by the lever I. The pipe L communicates with andconducts the steam from the boiler.

The operation is as follows: The steam is admitted through the pipe L,the valve 70 being in the position shown in Fig. 3, and is conductedthrough the opening m, pipe E, and valve-stem B into the slotted arms ofthe valve B, where (the cylinder and piston being in the position shownin Figs. 1 and 2) it finds the apertures a a in the arms opposite to theports a a in the valve-seat, through both of which it passes, and, aftertraversing the right-hand passage of the trunnion and division of thechamber 0, enters the cylinder A through the opening at the rear end ofsaid chamber. In performing its office upon the piston the cylinder isoscillated, producing a corresponding oscillation of the valveseat andits ports, which closes the openings at a, opens the ports a a into thesteam-chest, and brings the ports I) b opposite the apertures b I),through which the steam is now conducted to the forward end of thecylinder A, and, acting upon the piston, causes the exhaust steam fromthe opposite end to enter the steam-chest through the port a a. Thus ateach stroke of the piston the two apertures a a of the valve open andclose alternately with those marked 1) b, while two of the ports a a b balternate with the other two in communicating with said apertures and inopening into the steam-chest. The exhaust steam is conducted from thechest D through pipe K, trunnion A and pipe K back to steamchest H,passing up through opening a, under valve 7c, down through opening 0,and out through exhaust-pipe G. The engine may be reversed by changingthe lever F from one lug to the other, or by taking hold of the lever Iand drawing the rod b, which moves the valve Ia, whereby the opening ais uncovered, permitting the steam to pass directly into the pipe K,through trunnion A and pipe K to steam-chest D. The projecting arms ofthe valve B being, as before stated, so arranged that the apertures intwo of them are opposite two of the ports while the other two face thesolid surface of the seat, the latter in this case permit the two openports to take steam for one end of the cylinder A, while the other twoconduct the exhaust steam from the opposite end. It then passes throughthe valve-stem B and pipe E into the lower division of boX H, up throughopening m, under the valve 7c, and out as before through opening 0 andexhaustpipe G.

I claim as my invention l. The valve B and oscillating seat, hereindescribed, in combination with the steam-chest D, substantially as setforth.

l/Vitnessesz D. E. SoMEs, F. O. SoM s.

